1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to an upper body heating and cooling apparatus. More particularly, this invention pertains to a garment worn on the body of a person with the garment connected to a thermal unit. The garment has a heat transfer area and a load bearing area, and the heat transfer capabilities of the garment are not affected by the person carrying a load on a portion of the person's body. The connection between the garment and the thermal unit is with fluid connectors that release upon application of a specified tension force.
2. Description of the Related Art
Oftentimes, individuals must perform tasks in extreme temperature environments. When the ambient temperature is very cold, an individual can wear insulative layers of clothing, although at the expense of mobility, flexibility, and overall size. When the ambient temperature is very hot, the individual can remove only so much clothing in order to obtain relief. In order to perform tasks in these extreme temperature environments, the individual can wear a garment that includes a heat transfer mechanism to allow the individual to endure the extreme temperature environment. These garments typically have tubing routed over the surface of the garment, and the tubing carries a temperature controlled fluid.
One such garment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,730, titled “Integrated cooling and breathing system,” issued to Bell, et al., on May 24, 1977. The '730 patent discloses an integrated cooling and breathing system for crewmen aboard an aircraft. The Bell patent discloses a crewmember 39 wearing a liquid loop cooling garment 55 that includes “a capillary-like system of flexible tubing 53 integral with a nylon fabric underwear-like suite.” The Bell patent illustrates the garment 53, showing the flexible tubing 53 disposed over the full area of the garment 53, including the shoulders.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,338, titled “Article comprising a garment or other textile structure for use in controlling body temperature,” issued to Butzer on Aug. 29, 2000, discloses a garment with pockets and tube casings for use in cooling body temperature. Heat transfer patches are inserted into the pockets and the patches are connected with tubes positioned in tube casings. The '338 patent discloses a coat with tubes 28A, 28b routed over the shoulders of the coat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,699, titled “Method and apparatus for making body heating and cooling garments,” issued to Szczesuil, et al., on May 20, 2003, discloses a method of fabricating garments with fluid carrying tubing. The device of the '699 patent includes a pattern board 30 with a plurality of channels 32. A layer of fabric 90 is positioned on the pattern board 30 and the tubing 92 is positioned in the channels 44, 46. A second fabric 94 is placed over the tubing 92 and the two fabrics 90, 94 are pressed with heat to form a laminated garment structure 100. The '699 patent teaches away from the fabrication method of sewing the tubing to the fabric to form the garment.
Oftentimes, when an individual is performing a task in an extreme temperature environment, the individual must also wear other equipment, such as an air-supply pack or a backpack, or the individual must be strapped into a seat with a harness. Such equipment and/or harnesses are often supported by straps over the shoulders of the individual. These straps press against the heat transfer tubing that is routed over the shoulders of the garment, thereby restricting flow of the heat transfer fluid and limiting the temperature control available to the user. Accordingly, there is a need to have an upper body garment that remains functional when an individual is performing tasks requiring equipment or harnesses that are supported by the individual's shoulders or other body portion of the person.
Safety considerations also come into play when articles of clothing are tethered to stationary objects. It is known to connect fluid systems with releasable connectors. Typically, a positive-lock connection is made in order to prevent undesired disengagement of the devices. Release mechanisms of various configurations are known for unlocking the connection between the components of the connectors. Typically, release mechanisms require active engagement of the mechanism prior to disengagement of the two devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,158, issued to Meyer, et al., on Apr. 14, 1992, titled “Two piece molded female coupling,” discloses a connector that is released by pressing an operator.